Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019

Like previous year, this will remain to be a dedicated thread for Spiti valley road status 2019; and condition of the road en route. As the winter season progresses and ends in 2019; I will continue posting the estimated opening dates of the road and its condition here. Apart from this blog post, I will also be running a Forum Thread simultaneously which I will encourage you to check for more recent updates and pictures of the area. For checking the updates here, please scroll towards the bottom of this page in the comments section; where you may ask for status on any particular date.

Read: How to Plan a Trip to Spiti Valley – A Complete Travel Guide

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019

• Shimla to Kaza Road Status – OPEN
• Manali to Kaza Road Status – OPEN
• Chandratal Status – OPEN
• Rohtang Pass Status – OPEN
• Kunzum Pass Status – OPEN

Update – June 30th

Manali Kaza road and Kunzum Pass is now officially open but in extremely bad condition. You would probably need a 4×4 vehicle to successfully travel on the road for next couple of weeks at least. There is a lot of slush and snow on the road and it is getting difficult for even bikers to cross. I am headed to Chandratal this week and will share updates after I return.

Update – June 17th

Kaza to Chandratal road was opened today but tourists aren’t allowed yet. There is a lot of snow at Kunzum top, en route and even at Chandratal which makes the journey a little dangerous right now. The snowfall is Spiti last week as delayed the opening of both Chandratal and Kaza-Manali route. As of now, estimate is that it will take another 7 to 10 days before Manali route is cleared and tourists are allowed. For now, you can only travel from Kaza to Kunzum top but will have to return to Kaza from there.

Another important thing to remember is that a quota has been allotted to Beyond Rohtang Permit as well for now. The exact number of the permit is not yet known but it is close to around 500. Will this remain applicable for the entire year will get decided later in the season but for now, you will have to struggle to get Beyond Rohtang permit as well. These are booked for several days in advance and average wait time is of 3 to 4 days.

Beyond Rohtang Permit is also available in Black for Rs. 2500 per permit. 

Update – June 12th

Weather is closing in and more snow is expected in next couple of days. There will also be plenty of rains around Manali. Rohtang, Baralacha La, Sach Pass and Kunzum Pass will definitely get some snow this week. Kunzum Pass is open from Kaza side but there is still not confirmed date on when will it open from Manali end. Snow clearing is still under progress on Chandratal road. For now, it will be a few more days before either Chandratal or Manali Kaza stretch is restored.

From Shimla side, below is an update on road conditions.

• Few patches after Jeori which are broken
• A water slushy around 10 kms before tapri ( This sends mud and slush post afternoon )
• Road broken in patches between Peo, Akpa, Spillow and Puh ( 20% of the entire distance )
• After Khab bridge the road to Nako is under constructions ( 5-7 kms of bad roads )
• After Sumdo, the road is rough in patches till Shichling ( 10-15% )
• Last 26 kms till Kaza would 40% rough and rest all OK
• Hikkim, komic, langza roads are in really bad shape.
• Kaza to Chicham and then to Kiato is a smooth stretch.
• Kaza to Losar is a horrible and badly broken road.

How to Plan for your Trip?

If you are planning a trip on Spiti circuit anytime soon in near future, then continue checking this blog post or the Forum Thread for recent updates. Meanwhile, take a look at the articles below that I am sure will be of help in planning your trip to Spiti Valley.

• Clothes for Spiti Trip – What to Pack?
• How to Prepare your Car for Spiti Valley Trip
• How to Prepare your Motorcycle for Spiti Trip
• Mobile Network in Spiti Valley – Coverage and Data Connectivity
• Tourist Attractions In Spiti Valley & Its Vicinity
• Lahaul Spiti Road Map With Distances
• Lahaul Spiti Route Guide
• Shimla to Spiti Itinerary : A Detailed Travel Plan
• How to Calculate Minimum Budget or Cost of Spiti Valley Trip?
• Spiti Valley Bus Service : Frequency, Fare & Time Table
• How to Handle Acute Mountain Sickness In Spiti
• Top 10 Things NOT to do in Spiti Valley

List above are a few which I believe are must know for anyone heading towards Spiti. To get more information like itinerary and budget planning, take a look at How to Plan a Trip to Spiti Valley – A Complete Travel Guide

Update – June 9th

Received these images in a Whatsapp group today. You can see the amount of vehicles traveling to Rohtang Pass. Traffic Jams are lasting up to 4 hours and even the Beyond Rohtang is not available anymore because thousands have already bought it. And this is the situation when Manali Leh and Manali Kaza routes are not yet open. Once that happens, there will even be a greater number of people traveling causing much worse traffic situation.

Please see the forum thread Lahaul – Spiti Road Status 2019 for more recent updates and pictures of Spiti Valley as of now.

Update- May 30TH

From Manali side, Rohtang Pass was declared open today. Kunzum Pass should be open by 15th June after which Chandratal and Manali Kaza road will become accessible for tourists.

Update- May 18th

Opening of Rohtang Pass continues to get delayed this year due to heavy snow and resulting landslides. It is still raining and snowing at the pass. Earlier this month, the road was opened until Marhi but a landslide now has blocked that road too. There were 2000 tourists stranded on the road yesterday after a landslide blocked their way back to Manali. For now, assume that Rohtang Pass will probably open only either towards the end of May or early June. Kunzum Pass will not open at least until June 10th. Even if BRO is able to clear the snow, this landslide will raise questions on the stability of the road. Authorities will not open it unless they are completely sure of its safety. For now, the road is completely blocked.

Update: May 5th

From Manali side, the road till Marhi has been freed of snow and tourists are being allowed. The Rohtang permit window too has been opened online as of today. Please note though that you will still not be able to reach the top; and definitely cannot cross Rohtang over to the other side at this time. You will only get allowed till Marhi and Rohtang top is another 16 odd kilometers from there. The entire road is expected to get opened in the week of May 14th at latest.

Meanwhile, snow clearing work from Kaza has reached about 10 kilometers from Losar and is approaching Kunzum Pass. Please see for FORUM POST for pictures of snow clearing between Kaza and Kunzum.

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019 – Update: April 28th

Huge amount of snow is causing delay in opening of Manali Kaza road. Rohtang Pass it would seem may not open before June 10th which would push opening of Kunzum Pass and Chandratal to around June 10th. Below is an image of snow clearing operation between Kaza and Kunzum Pass.

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019 – Update: April 7th

Snow clearing work is in progress at Rohtang Pass as of now. Expected date of opening of the pass right now is May 1st week. Kunzum Pass is expected to open no sooner than late May or June 1st week. Chandratal will not be open at least until June 10th. You may be able to visit the lake sooner but accommodation will not be available until June 10th.

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019 – Update: March 17th

Road clearing work that started last week came to a complete standstill due to heavy snowfall and rain in several parts of Himachal Pradesh. The valleys of Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, and Pangi all received a fresh spell of snow. Rain dropped the temperature drastically in lower areas of Mandi, Bilaspur, and Solan. Rohtang Pass received about 30 centimeters of fresh snow. It snowed even in Manali for about 3 cm. Kaza too received fresh snow last week. There is about 15ft of Snow at the passes of Rohtang, Baralacha La, Sach, and Kunzum. There is no word right now on by when BRO will be able to resume snow clearing operation.

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019 – Update: March 10th

As per the latest update, there are still warnings of snowfall in coming days but BRO is hopeful to have the snow clearing work started on Manali Rohtang stretch by next week. From Lahaul side, work is going to start in a day or two from Satingri toward Tandi and Sissu. Similarly, workforce and machinery is moving from Udaipur ahead toward Kolang.

The route from Shimla to Kaza is clear to be traveled upon. There was  a massive avalanche at Nako in February that blocked the road entirely. A boulder prior to that had fallen on Kinnaur Gateway destroying it completely. Roads however has been cleared as of now so if you are planning to travel from Shimla to Kaza, you can do that.

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019 – Update: March 3rd

The road connectivity from Shimla to Kaza that was closed last week has been restored. There was  a massive avalanche at Nako that blocked the road entirely. A boulder prior to that had fallen on Kinnaur Gateway destroying it completely. Roads however has been cleared as of now so if you are planning to travel from Shimla to Kaza, you can do that.

Please expect a lot of snow and prepare accordingly. The entire region is experiencing heavy snowfall and avalanches have already caused some damage in Lahaul & Spiti valleys. Practice extreme caution for a winter trip.

The stretch from Manali to Kaza will definitely not open before late May.

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019 – Update February 18th

The snowfall continues across the entire Himalayan region triggering avalanches at several places, specially in the snow-covered valley of Lahaul. The petrol pump at Tandi along with a hot mix plant of a road construction company were destroyed due to avalanches last week. Picture of the petrol pump after avalanche is posted below.

Widespread and heavy snowfall is causing roads to get blocked and restricting public movement in the area. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started clearing snow from the highways. So far avalanches in Spiti have destroyed two motorable bridges, four dhabas, a Mahila Mandal building, a liquor shop and some machinery. More snowfall is expected in the valley in coming few days. Please see the Forum Thread where I have posted a picture of the petrol pump after it was hit by the avalanche.

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019 – Update February 4th

Snowfall this year has been greater than expected. The entire region is buried under several feet of snow. For now, do not expect the Manali Kaza road and Chandratal to open any sooner than early June. For people planning a winter ride to Spiti, please ensure that you pack and prepare well. Be ready for some very harsh and cold weather ahead.

Current Road Condition

As of now, below is how the road looks on Spiti Circuit, starting from Delhi.

• Delhi to Ambala – Good road. There are a few diversions in between because of road widening but nothing that can cause inconvenience or traffic jams
• Panipat to Parwanoo – Good road, smooth journey
• Parwanoo to Shimla – Road widening work at several place causing slow traffic, bad roads, dust and even landslides. Try to cross this stretch early in the morning to avoid traffic
• Shimla to Jeori – Good road with a few bad patches in between but smooth mostly
• Jeori to Spillow – Good road, smooth journey
• Spillow to Khab – Very bad roads, specially around Pooh
• Khab to Nako – Good Roads
• Nako to Sumdo – Good Roads with a few bat patches in between
• Sumdo to Kaza – Average at best. Narrow road with lose tarmac and a few bad patches in between.
• Attargo to Mudh – Bad dirt trail all the way with only first 2 or 3 kilometers of Tarmac
• Kaza to Kibber – Good Road

Lahaul & Spiti Valley Road Status 2019

There was not a lot of snowfall last year anywhere in the Himalayan region. Spiti valley remained deprived of snow until January and then again until March. Even places like Rohtang Pass and Baralacha La did not receive even half of the snow they do each year. The trend this year is entirely different though. Winter arrived early in Spiti and a heavy snowfall in September all across the region forced an early closure of Chandratal and Kunzum Pass. Even other high altitude places in the Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand have started to receive as well.

Shimla to Kaza Road Status

The road from Shimla to Kaza is still open and will remain so throughout the year. This part of the road only gets blocked in peak winters but that too temporarily. Extreme weather can sometimes block the road but authorities usually clear it and restore connectivity as soon as possible.

Manali to Kaza Road Status

The stretch from Manali to Kaza however has been closed for good this year. Kunzum Pass is already snowed out completely and Rohtang too has started to receive light snow. It had been raining in Manali all day today and there is a high chance that it may snow there tomorrow; which means an early snowfall in Manali as well. Historically, this road usually opens towards late May or early June.

I hope the information above was of help. Please follow the Forum Thread or keep checking back for recent updates on Spiti Valley Road Status in the year 2019. If you have any further questions; please feel free to ask in the comments section below; or at our Community Forum; and I will be glad to answer.